Generally a hearing aid system according to the invention is understood as meaning any system which provides an output signal that can be perceived as an acoustic signal by a user or contributes to providing such an output signal and which has means which are used to compensate for an individual hearing loss of the user or contribute to compensating for the hearing loss of the user. These systems may comprise hearing aids which can be worn on the body or on the head, in particular on or in the ear, and can be fully or partially implanted. However, those devices whose main aim is not to compensate for a hearing loss, may also be considered a hearing aid system, for example consumer electronic devices (televisions, hi-fi systems, mobile phones, MP3 players etc.) that have, however, measures for compensating for an individual hearing loss.
Prior to use, the hearing aid is adjusted by a hearing aid fitter according to a prescription. The prescription is based on a hearing test, resulting in a so-called audiogram, of the performance of the hearing-impaired user's unaided hearing. The prescription is developed to reach a setting where the hearing aid will alleviate a hearing loss by amplifying sound at frequencies in those parts of the audible frequency range where the user suffers a hearing deficit.
In a traditional hearing aid fitting, the hearing aid user visits an office of a hearing aid fitter, and the user's hearing aids are adjusted using the fitting equipment that the hearing aid fitter has in his office. Typically the fitting equipment comprises a computer capable of executing the relevant hearing aid programming software, and a programming device adapted to provide a link between the computer and the hearing aid.
Within the present context a hearing aid can be understood as a small, battery-powered, microelectronic device designed to be worn behind or in the human ear by a hearing-impaired user. A hearing aid comprises one or more microphones, a battery, a microelectronic circuit comprising a signal processor, and an acoustic output transducer. The signal processor is preferably a digital signal processor. The hearing aid is enclosed in a casing suitable for fitting behind or in a human ear.
The mechanical design of hearing aids has developed into a number of general categories. As the name suggests, Behind-The-Ear (BTE) hearing aids are worn behind the ear. To be more precise, an electronics unit comprising a housing containing the major electronics parts thereof is worn behind the ear. An earpiece for emitting sound to the hearing aid user is worn in the ear, e.g. in the concha or the ear canal. In a traditional BTE hearing aid, a sound tube is used to convey sound from the output transducer, which in hearing aid terminology is normally referred to as the receiver, located in the housing of the electronics unit and to the ear canal. In some modern types of hearing aids a conducting member comprising electrical conductors conveys an electric signal from the housing and to a receiver placed in the earpiece in the ear. Such hearing aids are commonly referred to as Receiver-In-The-Ear (RITE) hearing aids. In a specific type of RITE hearing aids the receiver is placed inside the ear canal. This category is sometimes referred to as Receiver-In-Canal (RIC) hearing aids.
In-The-Ear (ITE) hearing aids are designed for arrangement in the ear, normally in the funnel-shaped outer part of the ear canal. In a specific type of ITE hearing aids the hearing aid is placed substantially inside the ear canal. This category is sometimes referred to as Completely-In-Canal (CIC) hearing aids. This type of hearing aid requires an especially compact design in order to allow it to be arranged in the ear canal, while accommodating the components necessary for operation of the hearing aid.
Within the present context a hearing aid system may comprise a single hearing aid (a so called monaural hearing aid system) or comprise two hearing aids, one for each ear of the hearing aid user (a so called binaural hearing aid system). Furthermore the hearing aid system may comprise an external device, such as a smart phone having software applications adapted to interact with other devices of the hearing aid system. Thus within the present context the term “hearing aid system device” may denote a hearing aid or an external device.
The present invention, in particular, relates to hearing aid systems comprising an ear canal part prepared for being arranged in the ear canal of a hearing aid user and wherein the ear canal part has at least one sound opening or sound outlet provided with an ear wax guard. In traditional BTE hearing aids the sound opening is connected to the receiver with a sound tube. For RITE, RIC, ITE and CIC hearing aids a short tubing is normally used to convey the sound from the receiver and to the sound opening. In the present context a sound tube or tubing may also be denoted a sound bore or sound conduit.
It is a well-known problem that the sound opening is exposed to contamination with cerumen or ear wax which may lead to clogging of the sound outlet with consequently reduced sound reproduction. At worst, there may be a risk for the ear wax to enter the ear canal part and result in damage to the electrical components of the hearing aid such as the hearing aid receiver.
In order to avoid ear wax from the human ear canal to enter through this sound opening, an ear wax guard is usually applied. Such an ear wax guard is known from e.g. EP 1 097 606 B1. Ear wax guards are exchangeable and need to be replaced on a regular basis in order not to have the sound outlet blocked by ear wax. The time between changes of the ear wax guard varies between persons, because the amount and characteristics of ear wax produced may differ significantly from person to person.
However as a consequence of the very small dimensions where the sound outlet typically has a diameter in the range of about 1-2 mm, the insertion and removal of the ear wax guard is a rather difficult operation, especially for weak-sighted and elderly hearing aid users. As a consequence, it often happens that ear wax guards are not replaced as often as they should whereby the risk of ear wax entering the ear canal part is increased, and hereby also increasing the risk of damaging especially the hearing aid receiver.
Another issue with hearing aid systems is that the performance of the transducers, i.e. the microphones and receivers, may degrade due to normal aging or due to rough handling resulting from e.g. a hearing aid being dropped by the user.
Yet another issue with traditional BTE hearing aid systems is that the performance may degrade if the sound tube having the correct dimensions (length and diameter) is replaced, e.g. by the user himself or herself, with a sound tube where the dimensions are no longer correct.
Reduced performance of the hearing aid system may have the consequence that the hearing aid system is not worn by a user or that a user having the hearing aid system on trial selects not to purchase it.
Yet another issue with hearing aid systems is that it may be difficult for a hearing aid fitter to provide appropriate counseling of the hearing aid system user based on verbal user feedback.
It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide a method of fitting a hearing aid system that improves a hearing aid system user's and hearing aid fitter's awareness to the issues of ear wax congestion, transducer performance and other hearing aid system defects.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a hearing aid fitting system adapted to improve a hearing aid system user's awareness of ear wax congestion, transducer performance and other hearing aid system defects.
It is yet another feature of the present invention to provide a hearing aid system adapted to improve the hearing aid system user's awareness to the issue of ear wax congestion, transducer performance and other hearing aid system defects.